Chapter 17—Bass
Church is quiet. It was officially called ten minutes after Milly told us everything. We only waited that long to make sure we had the place locked down when we got Church together. With the number of enemies we have—the prospect wasn’t joking about that—we made sure the families were safe before we all came in and sat down. And that’s all we’ve been doing since, just sitting.
All except Flint, who’s been nonstop on his tablet. Even has Gator looking at shit on his laptop as they sit next to each other at the table. When she was done, Fairy gave the boss a thumbs-up, literally, before Flint started asking questions and Casper fired off text messages for Church. Not that a text was needed. Everyone was in the damn clubhouse listening as she spilled her guts to us.
And I hate it. I fucking hate everything about it. Hate that she accepted that her family would leave her out to dry because she was willing to go to bat for her friend. Hate that Ollie had to witness something that he’ll no doubt never ever recover from, not even with therapy. Hate that some asshole thought he had a claim over a kid who he only sired, that the kid owed him or some shit.
Ivan wasn’t a new asshole. Been dealing with shitheads like him for years. Different names, different backgrounds, but all with the same bullshit expectation that they’re God. The whole “younger generation entitlement” has nothing on guys like Ivan. They’re in a class above that, as they’re allnarcissistic assholes who think they’re both God’s gift to womenandthe ruler of men.
Some might think all bikers are similar, but not Hounds. Hounds of the Reaper have similar traits, but we also stand out more than stand with. We have a code, a morality—a small one, but it’s there. And if a brother ever loses that part of himself, then the club is there for them.
“We trust her?” Bulldog breaks the silence. He wasn’t close when Milly spoke, choosing to sit with his woman by the bar, but he heard it. We all did.
“Fairy does,” Mad Max chimes in from the back of the room, sitting behind Law in his typical role of presidential protector.
We all nod at his words. Milly was right—women don’t get an in with the club, not usually. But Law has no problem using Fairy, our walking lie detector, when needed. He’s all for using the club’s strengths, no matter if they have tits or a dick. If Fairy says she spoke the truth, then I’ve got no reason not to trust her.
“What next?” I voice the question that’s been on my mind for days. But this time, it isn’t because I want someone else to babysit.
“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Casper says with a shake of his head. “Right now, the club’s only involvement is hiding a few bodies and giving Milly and Ollie a place to sleep. If we dive into this, if we put them under protection, we could be where her brothers were: looking at war with the Russian Mafia. Not saying we couldn’t take them, but if Vinny Leone ain’t willing to go against them, maybe we shouldn’t either.”
“We willing to put them out in the cold?” My voice is hard as steel. I don’t know what I’m expecting from thismeeting, but thinking about making her leave ain’t the option I’m liking.
“Is it out in the cold if we set her up with a place to go and shit like the Crazy Eights did?” Jumper asks with a look around at everyone. “She’s proven she can handle herself and has been doing it for the last three years, it seems. It’s not like we’re kicking a puppy out into the snow. Girl can land on her feet and then some.”
“Can, but should she?” Chains glares at Jumper, who just shrugs it off. Club has a rule: Everyone is allowed to voice their opinion in Church until the boss makes the call. Then we go in the direction he tells us. But till he says where to jump and how high, it’s free rein to speak.
“No one’s saying she wasn’t dealt a shit hand. Her and the kid,” General speaks up. He rarely talks in these things, usually silent like Mad Max and Law. Not that he doesn’t have an opinion, but he has a different issue since he’s bound by some higher morals than the rest of us. His doctor side is always at war with the rest of him when we’re talking about taking lives. He’s able to shut it up a hell of a lot sooner when it’s a couple of dickheads, but innocents are a whole other subject.
Our club isn’t the white-knight type, charging in to help anyone and everyone. We save the innocent when they fall in our lap. Too many of us witnessed shit in our pasts when our hands were tied and saw more unanswered prayers from victims than the justice served.
But this ain’t your average “save the damsel” kind of thing. This has consequences that affect not only this club and its family but our sister clubs. Because there’s one thing I know about the Russian Mafia, and it’s that they don’t do anything quietly. If they take you out, they take out the line. The entire family.
“She has a kid.” My hands are spread wide on the table as I look at every brother in the room. “A kid who she claimed because her best friend died at the hands of a monster who thought he had a right to do whatever the fuck he wanted. Guys like him walk around free because people are afraid to stand up to him, to do anything. And if we tell her to go, then we’re playing into that fear. We’re letting him win. And I refuse to let this club become pussy whipped by any asshole. Especially one we’ve never met but only heard about in the night like a fucking boogeyman.” I bang my fist on the table, causing a few brothers to jump. “We don’t run from the boogeyman. Wefuck upthe boogeyman. We’re the ones they fear, not the other way around. We don’t run, we don’t hide—we take, and we claim. Everything we’ve ever faced, we’ve come out on top. The club went from dealing in transportation for cargo to running one of the best mercenary groups in the world in less than eighteen months. We have skills. We ain’t some dumb jocks with sticks up our asses. Wearethis. We are the Hounds of the fucking Reaper. We bring him the souls that deserve to be buried in the deepest pits of hell. We don’t cower, and we sure as hell don’t give up without a fight.”
“You willing to go to war for a stranger?” Kooper asks.
“Or is she more than a stranger now?” Law asks with a level eye in my direction.
I hold his stare. I get what he’s asking, but I’m not ready for that, not yet.
“Not making a claim.”
Thewoman might intrigue me, but putting a claim on someone like that doesn’t seem right. Milly isn’t one to be tied down by old-lady status. She could handle herself if she had the title, that’s for sure. She’s proved that more than once, including how she dealt with Torie. Bitches talk, and some vamps always try to start shit. If I ever took an old lady, they would have to hold their own when I’m not around. Milly has that in spades. But I’m not claiming her. It’s a shitty situation all around. The proximity arrangement has me thinking of her more than others before ’cause she’s around so much. I’m not dumb enough to think I’ve fallen for the girl in a few weeks’ time. That would be crazy. And while I’ll admit I’m not completely sane—no Hound is—I wouldn’t think I’ve gone off the deep end just yet.
Law holds my stare a second longer, then knocks on the table with his knuckles. “Let’s hold for a few days, put some feelers out there. I want full details on this Ivan guy before we make a play. Right now, the kid’s in our protection, as he’s a friend of Teddy.” He nods toward Chains, who nods back. No secret that Teddy, like the rest in this place, has a shitty past, but he’s had a hard time connecting. Nothing wrong with not having a best friend at his age, but it’s nice to see him shine now that he does. If we can keep that for him, we will—to a point.
“I’ll also contact a few of our other chapters to get their read on the situation. Pretty sure the boys back east have dealt with the Leones, and I want their take on them. Like Bass said, right now, we’ve got nothing to go on but what Flint finds online. Want someone with eyes on to give me a real assessment of the situation. Hell, both Chains and Mad Max were granted early release for good behavior according totheirpaperwork, and we all know that’s a load of shit,” Lawsays with a side grin that makes the table erupt in laughter and light jabs at the two brothers, who take the good-natured ribbing.
They did what they needed to do to get out of prison, butgoodisn’t a word you use to describe either. Unless it’s how they treat their old ladies. And at that, it’s an inferior word for how they actually worship them.
Another two days go by before Law calls Church again. The club has been doing its normal thing, going on with life. But it’s different for me, and I see it in Milly too. There’s a tension at the house, both of us waiting for the other shoe to drop. I didn’t tell her what happened at Church, but she doesn’t need me to. As she said, her brothers chose peace over war. She probably expects the same, and she’s probably right. No matter how much it eats at me to release her into the wild, letting her and Ollie walk out the door and washing our hands of them, till we know more, is the safest play we have for those already embedded deep in the club.
Until someone puts a claim on her and Ollie, she’s just another civilian. A “casualty of war,” as the government would say. But a fucking casualty that would break a part of me.
The scythe-looking gavel hits the table before every brother sits, gaining the attention of all quickly. “Listen up. I got a call coming in, and usually I would take it with just me and a few officers, but like we talked about last time, this could affect more than the usual. You got a minute to get settled and then shut the fuck up. If you can’t do that, stepout now. No shame in that, but this isn’t the time to let any of your personal feelings out in the open if something is said that you don’t like.”
A few brothers leave, probably for the best. A month ago, I would have gone with them. My need to joke about everything’s pulling me hard, but that was before. Lately, there hasn’t been a lot to laugh about. Me not leaving has more than one brother giving me the side-eye, to which I give them a chin lift back. “I’ll leave if I need to.”
